Greek students, teachers protest over education shortages

The conservative Greek government has sought in recent days to avoid comparisons with the protests and violence in France.(AFP) — Inspired by protests in France and other parts of Europe, thousands of Greek students demonstrated Wednesday around the country against the high cost of living, saying they face many of the same problems.“In Greece like in France, we are demanding public, free education,” Katia Koubousidou, head of a student union at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, told AFP.“This will not be a one-off protest. We have a plan to continue our demonstrations.”Police estimated turnout at the Athens demonstration at least 5,000 people.Similar protests were held in other major Greek cities.Dozens of students set up tents Tuesday in Athens’ Syntagma Square, facing Parliament, and on a pedestrian street in Thessaloniki.Doctors at public hospitals and civil servants also staged strikes and work stoppages Wednesday.Secondary school students and teachers are protesting poor infrastructure and staff shortages and calling for increased public spending on education.The conservative Greek government has sought in recent days to avoid comparisons with the protests and violence in France.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday that the country would “never return to the era of great social unrest” during the financial crisis more than a decade ago, which was marked by unpopular austerity measures.French cities were hit by some of the country’s worst rioting in recent years Saturday, with public buildings torched, hundreds of shops looted and more than 2,000 people arrested.According to the European Union’s statistical agency, Eurostat, Greece spent 3.3% of its national output on education in 2023, among the lowest shares in the bloc and far below the European average of 4.7%.Authorities “do not want (people to have) quality education, so that we don’t understand what is going on,” said Maria, a 57-year-old municipal worker at the Athens demonstration.Greek education unions and student groups have long called for additional spending on dilapidated buildings and more staff.“School buildings are terrible, and poorly maintained,” said Yiannis Papanikolaou, a 17-year-old student from the bohemian Athens district of Exarchia.“Falling plaster, broken windows, faulty radiators,” he said.“I think that something might change, because of what France is doing, France will spur Greece,” he said.The teachers union OLME has said there is a shortage of 15,000 secondary school teachers nationwide.Earlier this month, falling ceiling plaster injured a 14-year-old student in a classroom in Thermi, near Thessaloniki in northern Greece.A similar incident occurred Monday at the entrance of an Athens school outside operating hours.A major school complex in Athens has been closed for almost two weeks over a suspected gas leak that remains under investigation, affecting about 4,000 students.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads